When it comes to misogyny and right wing talking points, Bill O'Reilly and "comedian" Adam Carolla were joined at the hip and separated at birth. Their loathing of women who speak truth to power was reflected in their denigration of Sandra Fluke who dared to speak out against a patriarchal system that just doesn't understand why women can't accept their role as silent brood mares. Last night, during the "Rolling with Carolla" segment, the misogynistic towel snapping was directed towards MA Senator-elect Elizabeth Warren whose reality based comment about a "rigged" system has incurred Carolla's wrath. While O'Reilly was gentler in his treatment of Warren, it was clear that he was mocking her heritage in the same way that her opponent, Senator Scott Brown did. Unlike Carolla and O'Reilly, Massachusetts voters aren't threatened by strong women. She's a winner. They're so not.
In response to O'Reilly's question about why he is upset with Warren, Carolla responded that he's pissed because of her speech, at the Democratic National Convention, during which she said that system is rigged. He whined that this is "a horrible message" and asked how "a teacher, a coach, or a counselor could explain that the system is rigged against them." Bill provided validation in his comment that this kind of talk could "sap their motivation to improve themselves and give them an excuse to fail."
To O'Reilly's question of whether Carolla feels that this was the cornerstone of Warren's presentation, Carolla described it as "the cornerstone of the Democratic party with the inference being that they will fix it." He asked why President Obama hasn't "unrigged the system" (how bout a GOP House and Senate filibuster as well as corporate interests that don't want the system unrigged?)
Bill described her as a "classic liberal and Harvard person who believes society is unjust." He snarked "and she is a Native American woman, you know that and she was able to rise up and overcome whatever prejudices are against Native Americans." He wanted to know why she didn't "make that a cornerstone" and say "look what happened to me, I survived the Little Big Horn and here I am...and this shows that our society is fluid and you can rise." (Warren never claimed that she was raised in a Native American environment; but that, according to family history, she has native blood)
Carolla snarked that this is "a form of grandiosity, yes I'm a woman, I'm three quarters Iriqouis...but you guys aren't smart I'm gifted, I've been touched by God., I can overcome this kind of adversity. You are not capable of it." Bill provided the scripted prompt. "You believe she preached victimization." Carolla responded that it's "a horrible thing" for politicians to say this "even if it exists on some level, the message should be you just have to work twice as hard."
So according to Adam Carolla, Americans should just ignore the reality of a system that has produced income inequality that is worse than the Ivory Coast, Pakistan, and Ethopia let alone many other industrialized nations? According to Carolla, civil rights leaders shouldn't have preached about the segregation system that was rigged in favor of the white establishment; but, rather, told African-Americans that they had to "work twice as hard?" According to Carolla, American workers didn't need to form unions to fight against a system that was rigged against workers because all they needed to do was "work twice as hard." (Wonder if he's a member of a Hollywood union?) According to Carolla, women should have just worked "twice as hard" rather than fight for equal pay for equal work?
Carolla and O'Reilly didn't provide the full context of Warren's comments. After accurately pointing out how "oil companies guzzle down billions in subsidies" and "billionaires pay lower tax rates than their secretaries" she said that the folks she spoke to during her campaign, workers and small business owners, "don't resent that someone else makes more money." She added "we're Americans" and "we just don't want the game to be rigged. We've fought to level the playing field before. About a century ago, when corrosive greed threatened our economy and our way of life, the American people came together under the leadership of Teddy Roosevelt and other progressives, to bring our nation back from the brink."
Victimization? How bout patriotic empowerment! Carolla and O'Reilly have a problem with that? Really?
Although Corolla may not be a political pundit (per se), the point HERE is that by the simple fact that he was asked to spew his idiocy about politics. he was presented as one.
And, it was announced today that Pelosi will retain her position of House Democratic leader. I suppose we can expect more personal attacks on her from the likes of BOR, Miller and Carolla too. Gawd, it’s like they are all stuck in the 7th grade.